Homeschooling: Ten Things I Like About Teaching My Kids At Home

It's that time of year, again, where the average parent of average school age kids ramps up for another average school year.

There's the madness of shopping for massive amounts of school supplies. Matched with the madness of school clothes shopping. Mixed with the sighs of relief from many, already busy, parents as they get downright giddy (despite the expenses required to send their children to school) that the young'uns will "finally" be going "back to school".

As I walk by these gleeful parents I bask in my own sense of joy that, because we have school 365 (or so) days a year, we don't have to "beat the rush" to get school supplies. We don't have to help our children "meet popular trends" (or school dress codes) by spending a fortune on the latest fashions to send our little darlings to school. And, while many parents breath a sigh of relief that they no longer have to figure out how to fill the longish hours of the summer months, I am proud of the fact that summer was no excuse to let lessons slide so our household doesn't have to worry about working in new routines into our everyday schedule.

In fact, the only thing I have to worry about is remembering to send in Spider-Kid's Homeschool-Letter-of-Intent (which isn't due until November).

Every time I leave the house I am keeping my eyes open for sales on paper and pencils, and lesson manuals. My interest is always piqued by whatever the market is offering in helpful ways to help teachers and parents. All year long.

Even though, Lil' Diva is not required to attend school (in Colorado, the age of mandatory attendance is 7 years), she is also being "schooled" right alongside Spider-Kid.

It's this time of year that I like to revisit (and sometimes revise) all the things I love about homeschooling:

1) No rush, no fuss. While we can hear our neighbors (the walls around here are thin) running around screaming at their young'uns, I am sipping my morning coffee, maybe doing a little blog surfing. I can hear my little ones playing upstairs.

2) One less bell to answer. Although, I decide what time to "start" schooling, every day, the little ones and I take our time going through lessons. Sometimes we get through three or four lessons, sometimes we get through one or two.

3) No more teachers dirty looks. If I notice their interest is waning a certain lesson, I can change the subject to find something that keeps their interest.

4) Freedom of Choice. We use all mediums of learning in our home. The children can choose to learn on the computer (cd-rom games/internet), from educational games made for popular game systems (Wii: Big Brain Academy, Wii: Sports, various Leapster games), watching educational videos, and/or workbooks, flashcards and sundry other materials we can choose to create lessons from. We often get homeschool books from garage sales and thrift stores. I've found eBay is a good source of all types of educational books. Even the mama gets books so that she can hone her own skills in "how to" teach certain types of lessons.

5) Freedom of Association. Just because my kids aren't locked up in a schoolhouse doesn't mean they lack for socialization or friendships. We live in a big community surrounded by dozens of kids their age who they play with freely throughout the year. These are friendships the kids have built on their own and they actually range in age. Their friendships are not predicated on what grade they are in or what school they attend. They are not forced to tolerate bullies or put up with people they don't like (with the exception of when we have military related functions to attend).

6) Sky's The Limit. We may start at a given time, but there is no time limit for when the learning stops during any given day. Plus, the learning doesn't stop just because we leave the boundaries of our "school". "The world is our classroom," as the popular homeschooling saying goes.

7) No Holds Barred. The lessons that my kids learn are not predicated on their age or what might be considered their "grade level". What they learn is dictated only by their ability to grasp a lesson or an idea. We can continue to work on lessons that prove to be problem issues or we can move on to more advanced lessons once a concept has been mastered.

8) Rugged Individualists. My kids are encouraged to be themselves. No need for them to conform to fit in with the school "norms". No need for them to fit in with the "cool kids" to be accepted.

9) No Strings Attached. School is not canceled due to weather. There is no need to get a doctor's note for a "sick" child. Learning is not postponed for a sick child (unless they get sick enough to need medical attention...which hasn't happened in their entire life...knock on wood). We can "play hooky" whenever we like. No green beans for lunch...unless they are specially requested.

10) Joy of Learning. I get the special joy of watching as my children learn new things WHEN they learn them not when a stranger informs me of their progress in said area. I get the special joy of teaching my children and go to bed with the knowledge that the new concepts they are learning, they learned from me and not from a stranger.

Let me say that homeschooling is not for every parent or every child, but it is an option available to most families who live in this country (check your state/local school district for rules that govern how you might go about educating your own children at home).

I really didn't think that homeschooling would be for me. I thought it was the last bastion for "fundies" to teach their children because they didn't want their young'uns corrupted by "them daggummed libr'ls and their gall-darned homosexual agenda...". I did not want to be associated with people like that.

I could tell you a hundred different stories about what finally made me decide to homeschool my children...actually, it was just one child, at the time (the other two came along later). But, suffice it to say, I was fed up and decided not to ever send my child (children) back into the government school system.

That was 9 years ago. My first homeschooled child recently finished high school, earlier this year. He now tutors other (government schooled) kids.

I won't say that every day in a homeschool house is all butterflies and roses. Some days (thankfully very few and very far between), I do want to wrap them up with duct tape and hang them on the wall for a couple of hours. But, those are the days when I hand off the lesson "plan" to Daddy or Big Brother or we can play hooky.

I can say that I do not regret my decision and that I would do it all over again, in a heartbeat.